The Daily Lectionary for MONDAY, October 7, 2019

The Daily Lectionary

MONDAY, October 7, 2019

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Psalm 137

Lament over the Destruction of Jerusalem
1  By the rivers of Babylon—
     there we sat down and there we wept
     when we remembered Zion.
2  On the willows there
     we hung up our harps.
3  For there our captors
     asked us for songs,
   and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,
     “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

4  How could we sing the Lord’s song
     in a foreign land?
5  If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
     let my right hand wither!
6  Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,
     if I do not remember you,
   if I do not set Jerusalem
     above my highest joy.

7  Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites
     the day of Jerusalem’s fall,
   how they said, “Tear it down! Tear it down!
     Down to its foundations!”
8  O daughter Babylon, you devastator!
     Happy shall they be who pay you back
     what you have done to us!
9  Happy shall they be who take your little ones
     and dash them against the rock!

Lamentations 1:16-22

16 For these things I weep;
     my eyes flow with tears;
   for a comforter is far from me,
     one to revive my courage;
   my children are desolate,
     for the enemy has prevailed.

17 Zion stretches out her hands,
     but there is no one to comfort her;
   the Lord has commanded against Jacob
     that his neighbors should become his foes;
   Jerusalem has become
     a filthy thing among them.

18 The Lord is in the right,
     for I have rebelled against his word;
   but hear, all you peoples,
     and behold my suffering;
   my young women and young men
     have gone into captivity.

19 I called to my lovers
     but they deceived me;
   my priests and elders
     perished in the city
   while seeking food
     to revive their strength.

20 See, O Lord, how distressed I am;
     my stomach churns,
   my heart is wrung within me,
     because I have been very rebellious.
   In the street the sword bereaves;
     in the house it is like death.

21 They heard how I was groaning,
     with no one to comfort me.
   All my enemies heard of my trouble;
     they are glad that you have done it.
   Bring on the day you have announced,
     and let them be as I am.

22 Let all their evil doing come before you;
     and deal with them
   as you have dealt with me
     because of all my transgressions;
   for my groans are many
     and my heart is faint.

James 1:2-11

Faith and Wisdom
1:2 My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; 4 and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.

5 If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. 6 But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; 7, 8 for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Poverty and Riches
9 Let the believer who is lowly boast in being raised up, 10 and the rich in being brought low, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year C. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2019, we will be in Year A. The year which ended at Advent 2018 was Year B. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Daily Lectionary
Psalm 137; Lamentations 1:16-22; James 1:2-11

The Daily Prayer for MONDAY, October 7, 2019

The Daily Prayer

MONDAY, October 7, 2019

In 2001, a US-led coalition began bombing Afghanistan in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Origen of Alexandria wrote in the third century, “We will not raise arms against any other nation, we will not practice the art of war, because through Jesus Christ we have become the children of peace.”

God of peace, dawn reminds us that your mercies are new every morning. You have been merciful to us despite our sin. Teach us such mercy. Open our eyes to see the violence we condone with our silences and with our consumption. We give thanks that repentance is the beginning of true conversion. Amen.

Verse of the Day for MONDAY, October 7, 2019

Psalm 63:1 (NIV) You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

Read all of Psalm 63

Listen to Psalm 63

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Un dia a la Vez - Lunes 7 de Octubre de 2019

¿Qué declaras sobre los tuyos?

Cada uno cosecha lo que siembra [...] Por lo tanto, siempre que tengamos la oportunidad, hagamos bien a todos.

— Gálatas 6:7, 10 (NVI)

Si leíste el devocional anterior, sabes que hablamos de la importancia de declarar cosas positivas sobre nuestra vida y tomar como nuestras las promesas que Dios nos dejó en el Manual de Instrucciones.

No obstante, así como es importante para nosotros, también es importante hacerlo para los nuestros. ¿Qué cosas dices de tu cónyuge, tus hijos y tu familia?

Un gravísimo error es lo que declaramos sobre la vida de nuestros hijos. Con nuestras palabras necias atamos a los hijos con cosas terribles como estas: «Eres un tonto. No sabes hacer nada. Eres un inútil y un bruto». No tienes idea del daño y el efecto que esas palabras traerán sobre su vida. Llega a un punto que hasta se lo creen. Y lo estarás atando con esas declaraciones de por vida.

¿Cómo eres con tu esposa? ¿La humillas, la insultas o la maltratas de palabras? Hoy Dios te dice que el que toca a uno de sus hijos toca a la niña de sus ojos (véase Zacarías 2:8). Cuando se daña a un hijo de Dios, es como si se lo hicieran a Él. ¿Te imaginas?

También, mujeres, ¿qué estamos declarando sobre los esposos? ¿Los humillamos, los insultamos, los maldecimos? Recordemos que nuestros esposos son la cabeza de la casa.

Por favor, pensemos antes de hablar y reconozcamos que todo lo que sembramos eso mismo cosecharemos.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Con nuestras palabras necias atamos a los hijos con cosas terribles como estas: «Eres un tonto. No sabes hacer nada. Eres un inútil y un bruto».

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Monday, October 7, 2019

DISCOVERING JESUS

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

— 2 Timothy 2:2 (NIV)

Camping experiences for me were always positive experiences. There you must live and practice your Christian faith twenty-four hours a day. And that deeply impacts the other campers.

Around the world, Open Doors sponsors camps—especially for discipleship training for young people. Twenty-three-year-old Roton is one of those youths who attended a camp in Bangladesh in early 2011 for young believers from Muslim background (MBB). He said, “To attend this camp, I traveled for seven hours. I walked thirteen kilometers before getting on the bus. It was exhausting, but I wanted to know more about Jesus.”

In a brief encounter with Open Doors during the camp, Roton shared that he felt pressure when he was just a new follower of Christ. “Many times, my Muslim friends would ask me why my family and I became Christians. They wanted to know how much [money] we got for converting. They asked me if the people who converted me stepped on the Koran or ate pork. I lost all my Muslim friends; everyone hated me and my family.”

Roton’s father was the first believer in the family, and boldly shared his faith with others. He read from the Koran, searching for portions that mentioned Jesus. Later on, however, his eye sight deteriorated to the point of blindness. So, he asked young Roton to read to him every day some passages from the Koran that specifically talked about Jesus.

“I just followed what I was told to do. In the beginning, I was reading for my father. But after few days, I realized that I was becoming more curious to find the truth myself. Because of the witness of the Koran, I found myself believing Jesus as the Holy one, the Messiah. I became a Christian soon after; I gave my life fully to Jesus,” Roton testified.

Discrimination soon followed Roton’s new found faith. His religion teacher mistreated him. When the school principal learned of his conversion, he was watched and compelled to recite Muslim prayers. People questioned him about Jesus Christ, but all that Roton knew about Christ he learned from the Koranic passages he read for his father. It was time to learn more. Instead of succumbing to the religious pressure he experienced, Roton—with encouragement from his father—set out on a journey to learn more about his Lord and Savior.

“I am so happy to be in this MBB youth camp. It’s my first. I saw that I am not alone! Many work together for Christ. In this camp, I discovered Jesus in the Old Testament. I will read the Old Testament more—together with the New Testament—so that I am prepared to answer questions people ask me. Someday, I want to study in a Bible school, so that I can help others who are on the same road as I am.”

RESPONSE: Today I will pass on to others all that I have learned and experienced in my relationship with Jesus.

PRAYER: Pray for young believers around the world who are in the process of developing their knowledge and discipleship in following Jesus. Pray too for camp leaders and trainers.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.

Women of the Bible - Monday, October 7, 2019

The Woman with the Issue of Blood

Her character: So desperate for healing, she ignored the conventions of the day for the chance to touch Jesus.
Her sorrow: To have suffered a chronic illness that isolated her from others.
Her joy: That after long years of suffering, she finally found peace and freedom.
Key Scriptures: Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48

Her Story

The woman hovered at the edge of the crowd. Nobody watched as she melted into the throng of bodies—just one more bee entering the hive. Her shame faded, replaced by a rush of relief. No one had prevented her from joining in. No one had recoiled at her touch.

She pressed closer, but a noisy swarm of men still blocked her view. She could hear Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, raising his voice above the others, pleading with Jesus to come and heal his daughter before it was too late.

Suddenly the group in front of her shifted, parting like the waters of the Jordan before the children of promise. It was all she needed. Her arm darted through the opening, fingers brushing the hem of his garment. Instantly, she felt a warmth spread through her, flushing out the pain, clearing out the decay. Her skin prickled and shivered. She felt strong and able, like a young girl coming into her own—so glad and giddy, in fact, that her feet wanted to rush her away before she created a spectacle by laughing out loud at her quiet miracle.

But Jesus blocked her escape and silenced the crowd with a curious question: "Who touched me?"

"Who touched him? He must be joking!" voices murmured. "People are pushing and shoving just to get near him!"

Shaking now, the woman fell at his feet: "For twelve years, I have been hemorrhaging and have spent all my money on doctors but only grown worse. Today, I knew that if I could just touch your garment, I would be healed." But touching, she knew, meant spreading her defilement—even to the rabbi.

Twelve years of loneliness. Twelve years in which physicians had bled her of all her money. Her private affliction becoming a matter of public record. Every cup she handled, every chair she sat on could transmit defilement to others. Even though her impurity was considered a ritual matter rather than an ethical one, it had rendered her an outcast, making it impossible for her to live with a husband, bear a child, or enjoy the intimacy of friends and family. Surely the rabbi would censure her.

But instead of scolding and shaming her, Jesus praised her: "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

His words must have been like water breaching a dam, breaking through her isolation and setting her free. He had addressed her not harshly, but tenderly—not as "woman" or "sinner," but rather as "daughter." She was no longer alone, but part of his family by virtue of her faith.

That day, countless men and women had brushed against Jesus, but only one had truly touched him. And instead of being defiled by contact with her, his own touch had proven the more contagious, rendering her pure and whole again.

Her Promise

God promises to heal us. That statement may seem to fly in the face of the many who have suffered from illness and disability for years on end, but we need to remember that our concept of healing is not necessarily the same as God's. For some, healing may not take place here on earth. True healing—the healing that will cure even those who don't suffer from any particular physical ailment here on earth—will take place not here but in heaven. There, God promises the ultimate healing from our sickness, our disabilities, our inclination to sin.

This devotional is drawn from Women of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Women in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Jean Syswerda. Used with permission.
God promises to heal us. That statement may seem to fly in the face of the many who have suffered from illness and disability for years on end, but we need to remember that our concept of healing is not necessarily the same as God's.

LHM Daily Devotions - October 7, 2019 - Memory Work Assignments

"Memory Work Assignments"

Oct. 7, 2019

He has caused His wondrous works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and merciful. He provides food for those who fear Him; He remembers His covenant forever.

— Psalm 111:4-5 (ESV)

Do you still do memory work? We will often try to learn and remember favorite verses from Scripture. God wants us to remember His Words and works and, in fact, "He has caused His wondrous works to be remembered." He inspired the prophets and apostles to record His mighty deeds. Jesus promised His disciples, "The Helper, the Holy Spirit ... will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you" (John 14:26). God's mighty works are certainly worth remembering and, according to the psalmist, those works full of splendor and majesty reflect God's enduring righteousness.

Among those mighty works are the many ways in which the Lord provides food—manna for the Israelites in the wilderness (see Exodus 16), bread and fish from the hands of the Savior (see Matthew 15:32-38), and "grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate" (Psalm 104:14b). Still today "He provides food for those who fear Him," not only our daily bread, but the sacred food of Jesus' body and blood in Holy Communion. It is the food of the covenant, the new covenant in Jesus' blood. Although we may at times forget His mighty works, God "remembers His covenant forever."

The new covenant in Jesus' blood has something to say about knowing and remembering. According to that covenant, God will write His law on the hearts of His people and, He says, "They shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest." But the new covenant has something to say about not remembering, too. According to the terms of His covenant, terms established in our Savior's blood, God says, "I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more" (Jeremiah 31:33-34).

This mighty work of God, the remembered covenant through which He does not remember our sin, is a covenant in which God removes our sins from us "as far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12a). Yet there is something that God remembers about us: "He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust" (Psalm 103:14). We do not always remember what God has done for us or live according to the law written on our hearts, but God looks with compassion on His dusty, forgetful children and, for the sake of Jesus, He does not remember our sins. We rejoice in God's forgiveness. We remember His mighty works, works that, according to the psalmist, are "studied by all who delight in them" (Psalm 111:2b). It's time to get back to that memory work!

THE PRAYER: Almighty God, we give You thanks and praise the gifts of forgiveness and eternal life that are ours by Your grace through faith in Jesus. In His Name we pray. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Do people in general have an awareness of God or some supernatural power? Is this something that's internal to humans or does it come from outside ourselves?
• How does God cause His works to be remembered?
• Do you memorize Scripture? Are there times when doing so would be handy?

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Do people in general have an awareness of God or some supernatural power?

CPTLN devocional del 07 de Octubre de 2019 - Tareas de memorización

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Tareas de memorización

07 de Octubre de 2019

El Señor es bondadoso y compasivo, y todo lo que hace merece recordarse. El Señor alimenta a quienes lo honran, y nunca se olvida de su pacto.

— Salmos 111:4-5 (RVC)

¿Todavía practicas la memorización? Cuando éramos pequeños tratábamos de aprender y recordar versículos favoritos de Biblia. Dios quiere que recordemos sus palabras y obras y, de hecho, "Él hace que sus obras maravillosas sean recordadas". Dios inspiró a los profetas y apóstoles a escribir sus obras poderosas. Jesús prometió a sus discípulos: "Pero el Espíritu Santo, a quien el Padre enviará en mi nombre, los consolará y les enseñará todas las cosas, y les recordará todo lo que yo les he dicho" (Juan 14:26). Vale la pena recordar las obras poderosas de Dios que, según el salmista, reflejan la justicia de Dios que dura para siempre.

Entre esas obras poderosas se encuentran las muchas formas en que el Señor nos da de comer: maná para los israelitas en el desierto (véase Éxodo 16), pan y pescado de las manos del Salvador (véase Mateo 15:32-38), y "la hierba para los ganados, y las plantas que el hombre cultiva para sacar de la tierra el pan que come" (Salmo 104:14b).

Aún hoy "Dios proporciona comida para los que le temen", no solo nuestro pan de cada día, sino la comida sagrada del cuerpo y la sangre de Jesús en la Santa Comunión. Éste es el alimento del pacto, el nuevo pacto en la sangre de Jesús. Aunque a veces podemos olvidar sus poderosas obras, Dios "recuerda su pacto para siempre".

El nuevo pacto en la sangre de Jesús nos habla en cuanto a conocer y recordar. De acuerdo con ese pacto, Dios escribirá Su ley en los corazones de Su pueblo y, Él dice: "Todos me conocerán, desde el más pequeño hasta el más grande". Pero el nuevo pacto habla acerca de no recordar, también. De acuerdo con los términos de su pacto, términos establecidos en la sangre de nuestro Salvador, Dios dice: "Perdonaré su iniquidad, y no recordaré más su pecado" (Jeremías 31:33-34).

Esta poderosa obra de Dios, el pacto de no recordar nuestro pecado, es un convenio en el que Dios nos quita nuestros pecados y los envía "tan lejos como el este está del oeste" (Salmo 103:12a). Sin embargo, hay algo que Dios recuerda de nosotros: "pues él sabe de qué estamos hechos; ¡él bien sabe que estamos hecho de polvo!" (Salmo 103:14).

No siempre recordamos lo que Dios ha hecho por nosotros ni vivimos de acuerdo con la ley escrita en nuestros corazones, pero Dios mira con compasión a Sus hijos polvorientos y olvidadizos y, por el bien de Jesús, no recuerda nuestros pecados. Nos regocijamos en el perdón de Dios. Recordamos sus poderosas obras, obras que, según el salmista, son "estudiadas por todos los que se deleitan en ellas" (Salmo 111:2b). ¡Es hora de volver a esa tarea de memorización!

ORACIÓN: Dios Todopoderoso, te damos gracias y alabamos tus regalos de perdón y vida eterna que son nuestros por Tu gracia a través de la fe en Jesús. En tu nombre oramos. Amén.

Dra. Carol Geisler

Para reflexionar:

• ¿Cómo nos ayuda Dios a recordar sus obras?
• ¿Memorizas las Escrituras? ¿Te sería útil hacerlo en algunos momentos?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Cómo nos ayuda Dios a recordar sus obras?

Notre Pain Quotidien - Dieu aime même l’hypocrite

Dieu aime même l’hypocrite

Lisez : Genèse 38.16-26

La Bible en un an : Ésaïe 28 – 29 ; Philippiens 3

Elle est moins coupable que moi. V. 26

« Je serais très déçu si un des membres de notre équipe faisait cela », a déclaré un joueur de cricket, en faisant allusion à un joueur sud-africain qui avait triché lors d’un match en 2016. Reste qu’à peine deux ans plus tard, ce même joueur s’est fait prendre dans un scandale presque identique.

Peu de choses nous déplaisent autant que l’hypocrisie. Notons que celle de Juda, dans Genèse 38, aurait pu avoir des conséquences fatales. Quand deux de ses fils sont morts après avoir épousé Tamar, Juda s’était discrètement déchargé de son devoir de pourvoir aux besoins de sa belle-fille (V. 8-11).

En désespoir de cause, Tamar s’est déguisée en prostituée voilée et Juda a couché avec elle (V. 15,16). En apprenant qu’elle était enceinte, Juda a cédé à une rage folle : « Faites-la sortir, et qu’elle soit brûlée » (V. 24). C’était sans compter que Tamar détenait la preuve que Juda était le père (V. 25).

Or, Juda aurait pu nier la vérité, mais il a reconnu son hypocrisie et a accepté sa responsabilité de prendre soin de Tamar en affirmant : « Elle est moins coupable que moi » (V. 26).

Et Dieu a tissé ce sombre chapitre de l’histoire de Juda et de Tamar à même celle de notre rédemption, puisque les enfants de Tamar (V. 29,30) allaient devenir les ancêtres de Jésus (MT 1.2,3).

Pourquoi Genèse 38 s’inscrit-il dans la Bible ? Cela tient en partie au fait que cette histoire met en contraste notre cœur hypocrite avec celui du Dieu d’amour, de grâce et de miséricorde.

Usons de transparence et repentons-nous de notre hypocrisie.

par Tim Gustafson

© 2019 Ministères NPQ
« Je serais très déçu si un des membres de notre équipe faisait cela », a déclaré un joueur de cricket.